Hospitality

PHOTO C/O WAVE TRANSIT

All aboard: Officials have tweaked the route of the Port City Trolley to provide access to more downtown Wilmington spots.

Free trolley refreshes downtown route

BY LAURA MOORE

For visitors and locals alike, the free downtown trolley in Wilmington recently refreshed its route, offering access to more desired destinations.

As a result, the Port City Trolley is providing riders with the ability to access major destination points along Nutt Street in downtown Wilmington.

“It is only a two-block deviation from the original route, but opens up so much more access,” said Brianna D’Itri, mobility manager at Wave Transit.

Several downtown destinations are now on the trolley route including the Wilmington Convention Center, Wilmington Railroad Museum, several waterfront hotels, the new Riverfront Park and Live Oak Bank Pavilion.

The new route began Sept. 1 to offer better access to some of the riverside attractions.

“This route refresh offers the same service frequency and operating hours as before with enhanced access to downtown entertainment, culture and amenities,” D’Itri said.

As one of its trolley partners, the Wilmington Convention Center will guide its guests to the Port City Trolley through new overhead signs, dynamic displays and a wall mural designed by Kevin Jones of ARTphics Inc.

In partnership with the Wilmington Railroad Museum, patrons get a real-world transportation lesson in reading public transit schedules using the Port City Trolley map. Families with children can look forward to more events at the museum featuring a ride on the trolley.

Passengers can board the Port City Trolley at one of the now 25 designated trolley stops and get off at any location along the established route. Other changes include a change in the trolley stop on Red Cross Street from a very elevated stop to a flatter surface to offer better access for those with mobility issues.

“It is designed to bring passengers to all the five districts in the greater downtown area, as well as key destinations,” D’Itri said. “With the makeup of downtown Wilmington and its geography, it is unique for visitors as it touches on all these areas. It is good to feel out where you are and be able to orient yourself.”

While the trolley is a unique feature to downtown Wilmington that is attractive to tourists, according to D’Itri, many locals make use of it for their commutes to and from work, to run errands or to take to lunch or breakfast.

“It is free and convenient transportation for residents headed to work or school and adds a cozy, vintage flare to date nights downtown,” according to a Wave Transit press release.

Keeping it free is essential to those at Wave Transit.

“It is important that it remains free. Wave wants to continue to offer the trolley for free,” D’Itri said. “It is necessary to provide access to all of the wonderful attractions and amenities. The trolley is as fun as it is accessible.”

Long-term plans are currently in the works as part of a multi-phase project that “looks forward and ahead,” according to D’Itri. With a new executive director, Marie Parker, and a new Board of Directors, “expansion and enhancement is one step and one point on a much larger plan.”

“The goal is to bring folks great, well-planned loops. The Port City Trolley is a shorter route that is completed in 40 minutes,” D’Itri said.

The fixed route bus service lines run on 60-minute loops.

Operating hours for the trolley are Monday through Friday 7:20 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10:40 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Updated digital maps are available on Wave Transit’s website, www. wavetransit.com, under the “Routes and Schedules” and “Rider Information” tabs. Printed copies can be found on the trolley, at both Wave Transit transfer stations and at many of the destinations along the route.

Local museum participates in Smithsonian event

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science announced recently that it will open its doors free of charge to all Museum Day ticket holders on Saturday, Sept. 18, as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s 17th annual Museum Day, a national celebration in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums.

Museum Day tickets can be downloaded at bit.ly/CFMMuseumDay2021.

With many public spaces being shut down for a year or more, Museum Day 2021 celebrates the reopening of museums after long closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year’s theme, Experience America, represents the return to, and resurgence of, our country’s diverse cultural experiences, in the safest possible way,” a news release stated.

Participating museums will have safety precautions in place for this year’s event so guests can safely enjoy their experience, according to the release.

“Museum Day is a great way for us to reach out to our community, encourage people to explore the Museum and engage with visitors that might not normally visit,” said Cape Fear Museum Director Wayne LaBar in the release.

Cape Fear Museum’s current exhibitions include the following: • Cape Fear Stories: an overview of the region’s history, cultures and related science from prehistory through the end of the 20th century (ongoing). • Space Place: a space-themed, highly interactive learning center exploring STEM concepts (ongoing). • Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery: explore the ecosystems of the Cape Fear region (ongoing). • H2O Today: explore the beauty and essential nature of water, our planet’s lifeblood (organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and on view through Aug. 28, 2022). • Sun, Earth, Universe: an engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences (created by NISE Network and on view through Oct. 24 this year).

Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two at Cape Fear Museum on Sept. 18. One ticket is permitted per email address.